Alice's Revenge
by Washington the Great
Summary: Based off a one-shot from MoTK. Alice can't get over her defeats in Makai and decides to take revenge, leading to unforeseen consequences. A sequel is in the works.
1. Chapter 1

**Foreword: **This story, as mentioned in the summary, came about because of a very short one-shot I read on MoTK a while back, where Alice was building up dolls and planning to destroy Marisa for her actions in Mystic Square. I decided that the idea was fascinating, and wrote this story in a flash of inspiration. Naturally, it features a rather OOC Alice, though I have tried to justify her hatred towards Reimu and Marisa. If you do not like such characterization, though, feel free to ignore this story.

* * *

_Year ?, Makai_

Alice watched the distant new intruders grimly, her eyes narrowing. Inwardly, she braced herself. The first two had been bad enough, and even now she shuddered at the fearsome power of the blue-clad ghost and the seemingly unassuming flower youkai. Alice had barely escaped with her life from each encounter, and now more intruders were on their way? It was almost too much to bear.

Her newly created dolls, already battered from the earlier battles, stared at her, almost as if begging her to leave and let the other Makai residents handle these newcomers. Alice was inclined to agree, but before she could leave, a magical projection appeared before her.

Alice recognized the woman's distinctive orange maid outfit immediately. "Miss Yumeko, it is an honour."

Yumeko's reply was nearly drowned out by the noises of battle around her. "Alice, it's good to see that you're still alive. You have spotted two new intruders approaching, haven't you?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, Miss Yumeko. Are you asking that I fight them?"

Yumeko nodded. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't have allowed Lady Shinki's adopted Daughter anywhere close to the fighting, but since you snuck out of the palace by yourself, I might as well make use of you."

Yumeko shook her head. "Those two from earlier have already breached the citadel of Pandemonium. Lady Shinki and I can probably beat them, but not with these reinforcements. I need you to stall them, buy us some time."

Alice was reluctant to disobey her adopted mother's chief lieutenant, but even so, her body was on the verge of giving out. "Must I, Miss Yumeko? I can barely stand as it is!"

Yumeko frowned. "I know this is a difficult request, but we really have no choice. You're the only one close enough to stop these new intruders."

The scene briefly changed to the burning landscape of Makai, already in ruins from the earlier assault, before switching back to Yumeko. "If you don't delay these two, we won't be able to stop them from wreaking even more havoc on our fair land. Please, Alice. Not just your mother, not just me, but all of Makai is depending on you now."

The words struck a note in Alice's heart. "Yes, Miss Yumeko. I won't let you down!"

Yumeko smiled. "I knew I could count on you."

The projection faded into nothingness, and Alice whirled around to face her opponents. She had been expecting fearsome youkai like the previous two, but what stared back were merely humans. One had long purple hair and was clad in a red-white robe, holding a stick in her hand. The other had a full-length purple witch outfit, and was riding a broom.

Flush with confidence now that she knew that her opponents were only pathetic humans, Alice spread her arms wide. "That's as far as you go!"

The purple-haired girl waved her stick threateningly. "Get out of the way, witch, before I make you. I'm here to solve this incident, and nothing's going to stop me."

Alice bristled at the realm of Makai being referred to as an 'incident', whatever that was. "Enough! You may have had an easy way through so far thanks to those two smashing our defences earlier, but this ends now."

The broom-rider turned to the purple-haired girl. "Hey, Reimu, is she talking about Mima and Yuuka?"

The purple-haired girl nodded. "So it would seem. Normally I hate it when those two go out on a rampage, but this time it's actually helpful-"

"Stop your babbling and fight! Here I come!" Alice roared.

The two dolls rotating around Alice began firing off a spread of energy bolts, filling the sky with colour. Alice expected the two humans to perish immediately in this assault, but to her surprise, they easily weaved her way through the bolts.

The purple witch pulled out a small box brimming with magical energy. "Take this!"

A blue laser exploded from the box, reducing one of Alice's dolls to ash. Alice could scarcely believe that the creation she had worked for days to make in the workshops of Makai had been incinerated, just like that. Trembling in rage, Alice pointed at the witch. "You… how dare you! I'll never forgive you for that!"

Alice immediately concentrated all her firepower. Slowly, the net of bullets and her own lasers closed in on the purple witch, cutting off any hope of escape. Watching her enemy's face grow more and more frantic as the deadly energy closed in, Alice smirked.

"Reimu! Help me!" the witch begged, seeing her imminent demise.

Alice realized her mistake immediately, but it was too late. Before she could change targets, several amulets slammed into her. The divine energy crackling from the amulets scorched Alice's skin and sent her reeling, her own barrage disrupted.

"Marisa! Finish her!" the purple-haired girl cried.

Alice looked up in time to see several magical missiles closing in. Desperately, she raised her remaining doll as a shield, but it was far too late. The explosion sent her spiralling out of the sky, defeated. As Alice slammed into the ground painfully, her last sight was the two intruders heading on. "I'm sorry," Alice croaked before her vision faded to black.

* * *

"Hey, Alice! Wake up!" Alice opened her eyes to see two familiar faces in front of her – Yuki and Mai, her fellow classmates in Makai's magical academy. If they were here…

"Is it over? Did we win?" Alice demanded.

Her clothes shredded and her normal confident smirk replaced with a defeated frown, Yuki shook her head. "Look around you."

All around Alice, Makai was a ruin. Every last structure had been reduced to piles of rubble, while the ground itself was a wasteland. Even the once mighty fortress of Pandemonium was nothing but a smoking pile of blue crystal.

The implications were clear for Alice, a hammer blow that ground her to dust. "I failed, didn't I?"

Before Yuki could comfort Alice, Mai spoke up. "Yes, you failed. I don't see why Lady Shinki even adopted a pathetic magician like you, if you were unable to beat two mere humans."

"That's unfair, those intruders beat us as well, even though we both attacked at once!" Yuki retorted.

Turning to Alice, the fire mage adopted a sympathetic expression. "Don't listen to Mai. I know you did your very best. It's not your fault."

Alice shook her head. "It is my fault! I let down everyone!"

Yuki stretched out a comforting hand, but Alice swatted it away. "I don't need your help! Leave me alone!"

With those words, Alice floated away forlornly, having already decided on her next course of action. Of course, it was impossible for her to return to Makai ever again - having shamed her Mother whom had shown her such generosity. Her next destination, however, would be that very realm which the intruders had come from. For daring to raze the great kingdom of Makai to the ground, the intruders must suffer in kind. She envisioned herself becoming a great magician, resplendent in her magical glory, ruling over the wretches who had dared to invade Makai and humiliated her.

However, to achieve this she would require great power, power beyond the pathetic scraps she currently possessed. To that end, she snuck deep into the most treasured vaults of Makai. As most of the guards had left to rebuild the palace, what few there were Alice easily evaded, till she reached her goal - the Grimoire. A magical book containing the ultimate spells, the very act of holding it granted its wielder great power. For years she had looked upon it, dreaming of having its might in her grasp. Now, grabbing it off the raised dais it was on, she felt empowered, as though molten iron was flowing through her veins.

Testing her new-found abilities, Alice raised a hand and fired a laser. To her astonishment, what she had intended as a narrow beam came out as a meter-thick laser, blasting a hole through several walls. As she panted slightly from the exertion, Alice smiled. With this magic under her command, she would be able to crush anyone who opposed her.

Alice's first targets would, of course, be those two accursed humans that had beaten her. Although the other two intruders who had ravaged the realm were next on her list of revenge, Alice desired the humans' death the most. The stage for the battle would be of her own choosing, a pocket dimension unlocked by one of the Grimoire's spells. Many strange creatures populated that realm, but as soon as she entered they all bowed to her will, or more specifically to the wielder of the Grimoire. It was a new experience for her, to have beings obey her commands and swear fealty to her. Alice decided she liked it. Dispatching her new puppets to find the two humans, Alice waited for her opponents to come to her.

* * *

A week later, Alice sat on the throne that the creatures had crafted for her, a golden chair decked with jewels and precious stones. Her dress had been repaired by her new slaves, and she had spent the week feasting on mouth-watering cuisines she had never dreamed existed. Nestled in the lap of luxury, Alice had almost forgotten her purpose for coming here, but she would soon be reminded. A massive explosion rocked the palace, rattling furniture and sending chandeliers plummeting.

Alice flew off her throne angrily. "Who dares? Who dares to invade my realm?"

A creature shaped like a playing card responded quickly. "It seems the two humans you sent the scouts to get have come, Mistress. Your orders?"

In a flash, everything came back to Alice, causing an evil grin to form on her face. "The time for revenge has come at last," she chuckled to herself. Alice turned to the card. "Order all forces to retreat. These opponents are mine to crush."

As the card-being turned, Alice hesitated. "Though, on second thought... I don't want my palace wrecked by our battle. New orders - I want the intruders forced away from the palace. I shall crush them in the skies."

Bending low, the card-being left. Alice flicked her fingers, and the Grimoire flew into her hands. One thing she had not neglected despite the comfortable surroundings was the learning of new magics. Although most of the advanced spells in the book remained out of her reach, she had learnt several of the basic ones - still leagues above anything her tutors had taught her in Makai.

Alice clenched her fist. "It's time for revenge."

* * *

Soaring into the sky, a trail of rainbow particles trickling from her robe, Alice approached her hated opponents. Although they seemed slightly singed and battered from her minions' efforts, both were still ready to fight. Good. It would not be fun to crush these two without at least the semblance of a challenge.

Alice looked the purple-haired girl in the eye, trying to recall her name from their banter in the previous battle. "You've come at last... Reimu."

Reimu glared at Alice. "You're that doll-wielding Makai resident, right? Did you send those strange monsters to attack my shrine?"

Alice clenched her fist. "My name is Alice, and yes, I did. You two must pay for desecrating my home."

Reimu laughed. "I appreciate the effort, but you must realize you're doomed."

Quick as a flash, Reimu launched a barrage of amulets. Alice smirked as a multicoloured barrier appeared before her, turning the barrage to dust.

Alice spread her hands wide. "Behold the power of the Grimoire of Alice! This book contains the ultimate in sorcery, and with it I shall grind you into the dust."

The witch, Marisa, spoke up. "Hey, I want that."

Alice laughed. "This is magic a pathetic human like you would never be able to master! Now, it's time for you to die."

Marisa pulled out the box from before. "Not if I have anything to say about it! Master Spark!"

A huge laser exploded from the box, lancing towards Alice. When the smoke cleared, Alice was completely unscathed, the rainbow shield from before shimmering in front of her. It morphed into a luminous barrage of bullets, and the battle was joined.

The fighting dragged on for hours, bright flashes of light illuminating the pitch darkness of the pocket dimension. Having anticipated an easy victory, Alice was surprised to see her enemies dodging her hailstorm of energy.

"Why can't I beat you? _Why can't I beat you?!_" Alice cried as another energy surge missed Reimu.

Reimu flashed a grin, a Yin-yang orb in her hand. "For all your power, you're nothing but a child. And now, it's time to put you down."

With an expertly aimed throw by Reimu, the orb slammed into Alice's hand, knocking the Grimoire into the inky blackness.

Marisa took aim at the defenceless Alice. "Taste the annihilation of love!"

Without the Grimoire, Alice's feeble defensive shield was smashed by the radiant beam, sending her spiralling into oblivion.

Marisa turned to the exhausted Reimu. "Should we finish her off? She did destroy your shrine..."

Reimu shook her head. "I'm too tired to bother about that useless youkai anymore. Let's go back and have some tea, Marisa."

As Reimu and Marisa flew off into the inky blackness, neither of them noticed Alice crawling out of the ruins of her palace, clothes singed but Grimoire in hand. "Even with my new power, I failed..."

Hatred burning in her eyes, Alice's fist clenched. "Reimu... Marisa... these two shall die. By my hand."

She glanced at the desolation and darkness of the wasted dimension, and gritted her teeth.


	2. Chapter 2

_Year 126, Forest of Magic_

A bright summer morning dawned as Alice Margatroid, the seven-coloured puppeteer, walked into the new, enlarged basement of her house, a triumphant expression on her face. Several large silhouettes could be vaguely seen in the darkness, but Alice was only interested in one for now.

"Rise," commanded Alice.

With a cracking of joints, a massive doll got to its feet. A menacing halberd was gripped in its right hand, while a large cannon replaced its left. However, the most striking feature of the behemoth was the glowing book set in its chest.

Alice glowed with pride. "I have to admit, it was a stroke of genius, pure genius to use my Grimoire to power you and give you my greatest gift – sentience."

The doll watched Alice clench her fist. "With the Ultimate Magic, you, my most glorious creation, shall be more powerful than even that accursed 'ordinary magician', Marisa Kirisame."

The giant doll grunted in agreement, its eyes flashing momentarily before returning to a blood-red colour.

Alice turned to face a chair, lit by the dim glow of the doll's eyes. "And it was all thanks to you, my little blue friend."

Strapped to it was a small girl. Her blue dress was torn and tattered, her hair unkempt and streaks of blood ran down her bruised and battered face. Cuts and wounds covered her arms and legs, and the floor around the chair was covered in dark red splotches.

Cirno groaned weakly. "I'm… the… strongest…"

Alice slapped Cirno viciously. "Your defiance is admirable, yet ultimately futile. You humiliated me, destroying my first Goliath doll. My retribution for that has barely begun."

Alice closed her eyes, imagining Cirno's agonized, tortured wails. "You will beg for death and wish you had never been born, or whatever means by which fairies come to life."

Cirno gazed at Alice contemptuously. "You're crazy."

Ignoring the insult, Alice continued her monologue. "Still, my previous defeat was a blessing in disguise. For it helped me to see the many flaws and weaknesses inherent in my original design. With the Ultimate Doll you see here, I will-"

A cracking noise interrupted Alice. She whirled around to see Cirno leaping out of her chair. The now frozen and shattered straps that had held her in place fell to the ground while Cirno surrounded her fist in ice and smashed it into Alice's face.

Cirno flew off, a barely visible blur of blue. "That's why I'm the strongest."

Several dolls hauled Alice to her feet, a trickle of blood running down the side of her mouth. Shoving the dolls aside, Alice instead turned to her most trusted servants. "Shanghai! Hourai! Do whatever it takes to bring back that fairy. It is imperative my plans not be revealed to the other residents of Gensokyo. Not yet, anyway."

Alice growled, considering her revenge. "When you do bring her back, make her life a living hell. I want her screams to echo throughout the forest!"

Once the two dolls had left, Alice turned back to her 'Ultimate Doll'. Images flashed through her mind of the battles in Makai, her humiliating defeats first defending the realm, and then secondly in her own private Wonderland, made more embarrassing by her failure even with the Grimoire. Throughout these, two faces continually recurred, smug, condescending grins on them - Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame. She still remembered the lasers ripping her robes and the amulets shattering her magical barriers, and even now she brimmed with rage against her two greatest enemies.

Alice gritted her teeth. "It seems I shall have to accelerate my plans. Come, my creation. It is time for vengeance long overdue, vengeance for the defeats in Makai. Our first target: Marisa Kirisame."


	3. Chapter 3

Alice stood on top of her Ultimate Doll, glaring at the quaint, vine-covered house in front of her. "That poor, stupid fool Marisa. She actually believed my ploy, actually believed that I had become 'friends' with her and that lazy shrine maiden. What a fool."

Alice's eyes narrowed. "Now, it is time she paid the price for her naiveté and insolence."

Alice motioned towards the house with her hand. Raising its cannon, the doll fired a massive purple beam.

* * *

Marisa was fast asleep when a strange stomping sound woke her from her slumber. Quickly, she got dressed and grabbed her broom and hat. "What could it be at this hour? Maybe more earthquakes from that damned Celestial?"

Moments later, a giant laser obliterated her house. Marisa was blasted into a nearby tree, her clothes scorched. "Who did that?! Show yourself so I can give you a Spark to the face, coward!"

"As you wish," replied a horribly familiar voice.

Marisa gasped, her eyes popping open in shock.

Alice stepped out of the smoking forest. "Surprised?"

Marisa was dumbfounded. "Why? Why would you do something like this? I thought we were friends!"

Alice laughed, amused at Marisa's ignorance. "Only someone as ignorant as you could possibly believe I would ever be friends with a worthless human thief!"

Marisa was caught off-guard. "W-what?!"

"You are a thief! One who only knows spells ripped from others!" Alice flung out her arm, as though to emphasize a point. "You are a complete disgrace to the title of magician!"

Upon hearing Alice's bold statement, Marisa started to finger her Hakkero agitatedly, eyes ablaze with fury. "Well, Alice, here's something you should know. I'm the ordinary magician, Marisa Kirisame, _and don't you forget that!_"

Whipping out her Hakkero, Marisa took aim at Alice. "Love Sign: Master Spark!"

Cackling laughter came as the smoke cleared, showing Alice hovering in the air well off from where the beam had hit. "That attack is exactly like you, Marisa; far too flashy and direct! I saw it coming from a mile away!"

Alice swept her hand through the air. "Now, it's my turn."

The trees were ripped apart by another purple beam, aimed squarely at Marisa. Hopping on her broom, Marisa managed to dodge the deadly laser by a hair's breadth. "How are you doing that? None of your dolls should have such power!"

In answer, the Ultimate Doll stepped out.

Marisa groaned when she saw the book attached to it. "The Grimoire. I should have known. As though fighting it last time wasn't hard enough already…"

Evading more attacks, Marisa prepared to retaliate. "Ritual Sign: Orreries Sun!"

Four coloured orbs spun into existence around her and fired a quartet of lasers at Alice, blowing her away with surprising ease. However, the giant doll continued its onslaught, firing off more purple blasts and swinging its oversized halberd about.

Marisa weaved her way through the assault easily, hurling several potions onto the ground which promptly exploded into a barrage of lasers. "Light Sign: Earth Light Ray!"

The barrage smashed several holes through the doll's armour, slowing it slightly.

Despite this success, Marisa did not let up, blasting a glowing bullet from the tip of her broom. "Light Sign: Luminous Strike!"

The bullet smashed into the doll's gun, obliterating it and causing the doll to release a yell of primal fury.

Marisa was flush with confidence. "Is that the best your 'Ultimate Doll' can do?"

The doll replied with a sudden slash of its halberd. Only a desperate duck saved Marisa's neck. Her hat was not so lucky, however, the sake bottle inside exploding into fragments.

Something snapped inside Marisa, her rage palpable. She hovered above Alice. "All right, Alice. Destroying my house, insulting me and betraying me was bad enough, but no one destroys my hat!"

Marisa braced herself for the strain of the next technique. "Perversion: Sure-Fire Master Spark!"

A narrow beam shot from the Hakkero, barely making a dent in the doll's armour.

Alice shook with laughter. "Is that seriously the best you can do? How pathetic-"

The thin beam suddenly exploded into a brilliant cascade of energy. Alice, her doll, and the forest were engulfed in blinding light.

* * *

When the beam had faded, Marisa panted, her entire body slick with sweat. The swathe of forest in front of her had been reduced to a charred wasteland, while Alice's giant doll was flat on its back, badly damaged. The Grimoire sat on its chest, unharmed and still glowing. As for Alice, she lay on the floor; her clothes now burnt rags, severe burns covering her entire body.

Despite her weariness, a grin was plastered over Marisa's face. "I'll be taking that book to pay for my house, then." Marisa closed in on the book, preparing to read all the secrets stored within.

From nowhere came a victorious shout. "Manipulation: Return Inanimateness!"

A huge explosion slammed into Marisa's back, causing her to scream in agony as she hit the ground hard, her impact raising a large dust cloud. Slowly, Marisa looked up to see Alice descending gracefully to the ground, impeccably dressed as ever. "How? I beat you…"

Alice chuckled. "So the puppet decoy worked. A shame that all the hard work I invested into it is gone, but at least it did its job."

Alice's tone took on a more mocking tone. "As for you, your stupidity really knows no bounds. Clearly, you have no concept of strategy, just like you have no concept of real magic."

She drew close to Marisa, her grin twisting into a scowl radiating with hatred. "And yet, an untrained brute like you actually beat me, while I had the Grimoire, no less. Do you know how shattering a defeat that was? Do you know how hard it was for me to rebuild my life after that?"

Before Marisa could answer, Alice continued on. "You destroyed my entire life, and you just had to rub it in during that winter. I had regained some measure of my former glory, and then you came again and humiliated me!"

Marisa groaned. "I didn't know you took those defeats so seriously… I thought it was just another incident… I'm sorry."

A malicious look on her face, Alice grabbed the Hakkero from Marisa's limp hand, admiring its elegant design and the power stored within. "I seem to recall a certain 'lesson' you mentioned before. What was it again-"

Alice clicked her fingers. "-Ah, yes. Concentrate your mind, mutter spell to miniature Elemental Reactor tenderly, aim at someone you don't like - and unleash the annihilation of love!"

A brilliant, multicoloured beam enveloped the Ordinary Magician, putting an abrupt end to her scream. Chuckling quietly to herself, Alice removed the Grimoire from the 'Ultimate' Doll's body and tucked the Hakkero into her dress.


	4. Chapter 4

Cirno sped through the forest, heading for the Hakurei Shrine. _I've got to tell Reimu what Alice is planning,_ Cirno thought frantically. _Reimu will know what to do._

A few branches smacked her on the way, but Cirno ignored the pin pricks of pain. They were nothing compared to what she had undergone at the hands of the madwoman Alice, and more torture was assured if she was recaptured.

Before she knew it, the forest suddenly ended, and Cirno felt sunlight on her face for the first time in weeks. She took a sigh of profound relief, tears streaming down her cheeks, before continuing on.

Soon, the massive stone steps of the Hakurei Shrine loomed before her. Cirno flew up the stairs, desperation evident in her voice. "Reimu! Help me!"

Her body, drained from weeks of agonizing torture, finally gave out, and she collapsed in front of the donation box. Dark spots swam in Cirno's vision. "Help… me…"

* * *

Reimu sighed as she sat back, sipping a bit of tea. Although there hadn't been any incidents lately and the shrine was at relative peace since that annoying oni Suika was in the Underground on vacation, her intuition was still giving her an uneasy feeling.

She got up. "I suppose I'd better go out and investigate."

After donning her red-white miko's garb and preparing a few spellcards, Reimu slid the main door open. Taking a step forward, she nearly tripped over a small body sprawled on the floor.

Recovering against the wall, Reimu glared at the familiar sight. "Oh, the ice fairy. What are you doing here? This isn't another stupid prank, is it?"

Cirno remained unresponsive, causing Reimu to grab her, intending to throw her out of the shrine. Upon actually noticing Cirno's condition, however, Reimu dropped the bloodied, near-dead fairy in shock.

"Wha… What's the meaning of this!" Reimu demanded.

Almost in reply, another voice came. "Surrender the fairy to us now."

Reimu whirled around to see Shanghai and Hourai, miniature weapons raised threateningly. "Alice? Is that you? Stop hiding behind your toys and show yourself!"

Shanghai pointed to the page on its body. "On the contrary, foolish shrine maiden. Thanks to the power of the Grimoire, we can now think for ourselves."

Reimu pointed to Cirno. "Who did this? Is your master responsible?"

Shanghai shook its head. "That is none of your concern. Hand her over."

Reimu sighed. Her Yin-Yang orbs floated out of the shrine, glowing brightly, while she pulled out several amulets. "No."

Shanghai's reply seemed almost apologetic. "You leave us no choice."

Reimu's intuition flared up, and she ducked as Shanghai flew above her head, the doll's lance inches from punching a hole through her skull. Muttering a quick prayer, Reimu kicked upwards, her foot surrounded in holy energy. As it turned around for another assault, Shanghai was smashed apart, tiny pieces of wood flying everywhere.

Unfazed by its partner's defeat, Hourai charged, slashing and stabbing at Reimu with its now energy-covered sword. Reimu parried with her gohei, then launched her counterattack. "Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal!"

Seven multicoloured orbs flew from Reimu, smashing into Hourai and obliterating it. However, Reimu remained cautious. "That was far too easy…."

As if in response, the shattered pieces of Shanghai and Hourai started reforming around the Grimoire pages on the floor. Reimu sighed. "How troublesome... Maybe it's time to put Yukari's training to the test."

With that, Reimu ripped a hole in space. Instantly appearing on top of the shattered Shanghai, Reimu slammed a seal on the magical page, containing the magical power temporarily.

The now reformed Hourai hovered uncertainly. "As expected from the Hakurei shrine maiden. Your skill is impressive."

Reimu clenched her fist. "I've had enough with this farce. Bring your master here."

"I already am here," replied a mocking voice.

Reimu turned around angrily, ignoring Hourai's hasty retreat. "Alice. You seem to be at the centre of this incident. Explain yourself before I beat the truth out of you."

Alice smirked, her voice haughty. "I see you are as arrogant and rude as ever. Well, since you are too stupid to figure anything out yourself, I shall explain. I have disposed of Marisa, that pathetic imitation of a magician, and soon I will dispose of you too." An octagonal box slid out of Alice's sleeve into her palm.

Reimu's voice had faded to a deadly whisper. "What did you do to her, you filthy youkai?"

Alice spread her hands wide. "I crushed her, then killed her with her own spell! Oh, the delicious irony!"

More Yin-Yang orbs flew out of the shrine and whirled around Reimu. "Looks like its youkai exterminating time."

Reimu motioned at Alice, and a barrage of glowing amulets exploded from the Hakurei Yin-Yang orbs.

Alice countered calmly, aiming the Hakkero at Reimu while the Grimoire glowed in her other hand. "Hatred Sign: Obliteration!"

A massive white beam blasted from the artefact, reducing the barrage to ash. Reimu leapt aside, but the left side of the Hakurei Shrine was not so lucky.

Enraged, Reimu proceeded to hurl sanctified needles angrily. "First the Tenshi brat, now you. Will people stop destroying my home?!"

Ignoring the question, Alice leapt backwards, easily dodging the needles. "That wretched Marisa may have been a thief and an idiot, but she did understand destructive force. Love Sign: Non-Directional Laser!"

Ten dolls surrounded her, whirling and spinning, and rainbow lances of energy speared from them.

As the deadly web closed in, Reimu retaliated. "Holy Treasure: Yin-Yang Sanctifier Orb!"

A radiant ball of blue holy energy rolled out of Reimu's palm, absorbing the lasers and grazing Alice. The two combatants floated into the air, Alice forming a web of lasers with her dolls while Reimu smashed them apart with flying kicks and amulet barrages.

Alice soon realized that despite her skilful handling, her doll army was falling apart. Desperately, she flipped open the Grimoire in an attempt to obliterate Reimu, calling forth arcane barrages of terrifying ferocity. However, Reimu managed to weave and manoeuvre her way through them, unleashing seven massive spheres of divine energy at point blank.

Reeling from the blow, Alice sunk to the ground, panting heavily. All around the ruins of the Hakurei Shrine, the ground burned. Alice's doll army lay in tattered remnants about the floor, her dress was ripped and torn in many places, and although Reimu had suffered similar punishment, she remained standing, clearly ready for more.

Reimu approached, an expression of barely contained hatred on her face. She pointed her gohei at Alice. "You are clearly beaten, Alice. Now, you killed Marisa, so I shall have to deal with you accordingly. Any last words? On account of our previous friendship, I may grant you a merciful death."

Alice did not respond, instead spitting a glob of blood onto Reimu's face. At the shrine's doors, Cirno groaned, slowly getting to her feet.

Reimu wiped the blood off with her sleeve. "Defiant to the end, I see. Well then, I shall show no mercy. Prepare to die."

She concentrated, summoning seven Yin-Yang orbs around her. "Fantasy Hea-"

Reimu swung to the side suddenly, halting her intonation. Narrowly missing Reimu's heart, Hourai instead ended its sudden and blindingly fast charge with its energy-covered sword stabbing through her arm, piercing flesh and bone as if it were butter.

Alice got to her feet slowly, a manic smile on her face. Reimu cried out in pain, pulling the sword out and kicking Hourai away, only for Alice to slam her fist into Reimu's gut. "You were arrogant as usual."

Reimu fell to the ground, her Yin-Yang orbs clattering away uselessly.

Not letting up, Alice held Reimu in the air and fired a narrow beam from the Hakkero into her abdomen. "Just like that fool Marisa, you underestimated me to the very end."

Reimu was smashed into one of the support pillars of the shrine, blood trickling from her mouth.

Alice was beside herself with joy. "I have hated you for the longest time, Reimu. Your natural talent had always thwarted my strategy and skill, up till now. But at last, I am victorious."

Reimu glared at Alice defiantly. "Finish it, then. Kill me."

Alice sighed, an irritated expression on her face. "As much as I would like to do that, I cannot. Your death would cause the Boundary to collapse, and bring that accursed gap youkai down on my head."

Reimu snorted. "The same problem all my enemies from Mima to Miko have faced. Looks like you still have some sanity left in that twisted mind of yours."

Alice's response was a vicious kick that sent Reimu into unconsciousness. "Don't worry, though, I have something much better planned for you."

Cirno had watched all this in horror and outrage. Although she was loathe to admit it, Reimu had been one of the people she had most genuinely respected in Gensokyo. Before that fateful day during the Scarlet Mist Incident, she had been no different from the other fairies, save perhaps slightly stronger. However, Reimu's effortless defeat of her had changed her life utterly.

Inspired by the elegance, skill and strength of Reimu, Cirno had begun training and training, improving her prowess with her powers slowly. She would challenge Reimu every single day for weeks on end, losing each time but learning new tricks or refining her skills. Through it all, Cirno had one goal - she would become as strong, if not stronger, than Reimu. Now, her role model, both physically and mentally, had been reduced to a bloody mess by Alice, whom she already hated for the two-week torture she had been put through.

Childish though she might have been, even Cirno had a snapping point. Upon seeing Alice kick Reimu in the face, her rage ignited. "You... I'll never forgive you for what you did to me and Reimu!" Cirno summoned every last bit of energy in her body, charging forward in a desperate attempt.

Blinded by fury, Cirno's charge ended unceremoniously as her stomach barrelled into Alice's boot. Gasping, the ice fairy fell at Alice's feet.

Alice motioned to Hourai. "Take this little wretch to the dungeon. As for the shrine maiden, I shall deal with her myself."

* * *

When Reimu awoke, she found herself pinned to the floor by lances stuck through her ankles and wrists. She was in the middle of a magic circle, while Alice stood over her, rapidly flipping pages of the Grimoire and muttering incantations.

Reimu struggled to no avail. "What is this sorcery?"

A wicked smile came over Alice's face. "Since I can't kill you, I've decided to give you a fate worse than death." Alice held up a small doll that bore an ominous resemblance to Reimu, her grin wider than ever.

Before Reimu could inquire about the doll's purpose, Alice pulled out a long metal rod from her dress and stabbed one end into the doll. The other end promptly went into Reimu's chest. As Reimu screamed in pain, the circle glowed more brightly. Suddenly Reimu felt her consciousness slipping away, an ominous feeling further enhanced by the bright energy flowing from her body to the doll through the rod.

Alice's voice rang with mock pity. "One of the most fearsome spells in my Grimoire - the art of soul transfer. I have practiced it for years in preparation for this day. You shall remain trapped in this construct, unable to move or speak, for all of eternity. Rest assured, though, that even in this state your existence will be enough to sustain your precious Hakurei border."

Reimu screamed hysterically, her limbs writhing and thrashing about while Alice watched with clinical detachment. "What an inglorious end for the great Hakurei shrine maiden."

When the last of the energy had faded along with the screams, Reimu's battered, lifeless body was left on the floor. Alice let out a sigh she wasn't aware she had been holding, staring at the body of her longtime rival. "It's over."


	5. Chapter 5

Sanae Kochiya was having a good day. The proselytizing in the village had gone well, with many new believers garnered for Ladies Kanako and Suwako. In addition, she had managed to procure some novelties from the outside world from the shopkeeper Rinnosuke, and could not wait to try them out back at the shrine. While preparing to fly home, her thoughts drifted to her counterpart, Reimu. _She's probably starving to death, I'd had better get her something to eat._

Bag of rice slung over her back, Sanae had proceeded to the Hakurei Shrine. On the way, she had encountered a strangely small girl with horns, who had introduced herself as Suika Ibuki, one of the legendary oni. Apparently she was a friend of Reimu and would be happy to help Sanae carry the rice to Reimu, as she was also headed for the shrine now that her vacation was finished. The two had chatted merrily on the way, only to stop in their tracks upon climbing the final stretch of steps, Sanae's bag of rice spilling on the floor.

The Hakurei Shrine was in ruins. All that remained of its once impressive torii gate were two charred stumps, while the shrine itself was nothing more than a blackened husk. Worst of all, Alice was crying and sobbing over what appeared to be Reimu's body.

Fearing the worst, Sanae ran over. Indeed, Reimu's body was covered in wounds, and she seemed to be unconscious or dead. Beside her, Suika smashed the ground with her fist angrily, cracking it.

Suika turned to Alice. "What happened here?"

Alice's reply was interrupted by constant sniffling and tears. "It was a large group of those youkai from the forest, led by one with antennae on her head. They attacked Reimu while she was having tea with me. Even though we weren't prepared, we managed to force them to retreat, but Reimu gave her life in the process."

Suika gasped. "The border! What about the border? If Reimu's dead-"

Alice quickly pulled out a doll that resembled Reimu. "I've managed to preserve her soul in this doll, so the Hakurei barrier should hold for now. But if those youkai return and destroy it, I fear for Gensokyo's safety..."

Suika smiled grimly, cracking her knuckles. "There's no need to worry, Alice. I'll take care of them."

Sanae also nodded, her eyes filled with righteous fury. "Let me join you, Suika. I won't let those who dare harm my friends go off lightly!"

Alice nodded. "In that case, I'll head home. There I should be better equipped to fend off any assault. Should you find a way to restore Reimu's body, I will return her to her normal state at once."

Once Sanae and Suika had left, Alice wiped her crocodile tears off her face and smiled at their naiveté. Chuckling to herself, Alice grabbed the disabled Shanghai from the ground and flew off to her home in the Forest of Magic.

* * *

In a different area of the Forest of Magic, Mystia Lorelei was running her lamprey stand as usual, her friends Wriggle Nightbug and Rumia sitting on the benches.

Mystia brought forth two steaming dishes of well-cooked eel. "Have you noticed the humans are becoming less hostile towards us, Wriggle? Over the last few months, business at my stand has doubled! Perhaps we shouldn't be so aggressive to them anymore."

Wriggle snorted dismissively. "Why should we reciprocate? It's obviously a trick; I can tell you that they still hate us as much as ever. Just yesterday, when I went to the village for some provisions, the adults still moved away from me in disgust, and the shopkeeper was anxious to get me out of his store as soon as possible."

Mystia frowned. "I know that the humans have their flaws, but surely we should try and make peace with them? Continued conflict with them will only result in more of us getting exterminated, and trading with them for food is a lot easier than trying to eat them nowadays, with that shrine maiden about and the humans' holy weapons."

Rumia chose that moment to interrupt. "I don't care what they do, as long as they keep me full."

The charmingly childish statement drew good-natured laughter from both Mystia and Wriggle, but soon the two were back to discussing the humans and how they should proceed in dealing with them. The discussion slowly grew more heated, and might have escalated to blows had an angry shout not intervened.

"YOU! You're the one that killed Reimu! Prepare to suffer my wrath!" Suika bellowed, tearing down trees as she charged forward.

"What? Reimu's dead? And why would I-" Wriggle's complaint was halted by Suika's fist smashing into her face, sending her flying.

Mystia wasn't about to sit idle as their friend was assaulted. "We didn't do anything wrong, but if you want a fight, you'll get one!"

Before the two youkai could do anything other than extend their claws, and in Rumia's case, reveal her rows of sharp teeth, they were blown away by divine light.

Sanae stepped forward, brandishing her gohei. "Don't you even try denying it! I saw Reimu's body myself. You'll pay for killing my friend!"

It soon became clear that the youkai were hopelessly outmatched. Rumia leapt onto Suika, attempting to bite her arm and blind her, only to be smashed in the face with Suika's gourd. A swarm of insects surrounded Sanae, but were promptly incinerated by a five-pointed star of energy. Mystia's song briefly disoriented Sanae and Suika, but an onbashira pillar smashing into her abdomen ended the night-blindness abruptly.

As Wriggle attempted to help Mystia up, the night sparrow waved her friend away. "Go! I'll hold them off!"

Before Wriggle could object, she was cut off by a dazed Rumia soaring through the air to land in front of her. Realizing the severity of the situation, Wriggle grabbed Rumia by the arm and fled.

Mystia was left alone, wings crippled by the impact of a boulder. She got to her feet slowly as Suika and Sanae approached.

Sanae sighed angrily. "The antennae one got away."

Suika was no less infuriated, throwing away another boulder she had been holding to vent her fury. "Well, maybe this one can help. Where will that youkai be fleeing? Who else helped you kill Reimu?"

Blood trickled down Mystia's mouth as she clutched her shattered ribcage. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Normally, Suika was a reasonable person and would give her opponents many chances before unleashing her full power or giving in to anger. However, the death of one of the few individuals Suika genuinely respected and Mystia's refusal to cooperate had sapped her patience and tolerance to its limit.

Suika clenched her fist. "On account of all those nights I spent at your stand, here's one last chance, nightbird. Give me the information, and I'll spare your life."

Mystia spat in Suika's face. "How can I give information that I don't have? Go bully some other youkai with your shrine maiden partner and leave my friends alone."

This impudent reply caused any last shreds of restraint Suika had to vanish. With a roar, Suika punched Mystia in the face, smashing Mystia's skull apart and leaving an unrecognizable mess. Sanae, used as she was to violence from her incident-resolving, still gasped at the gore, but Suika was unfazed as she poured sake from her gourd onto her fist to wash off the blood.

Suika turned to Sanae. "Going to chicken out now, wind-priestess? Or will you help me show these youkai scum that no one messes with our friends and gets away with it?"

Sanae paused. The violence of the encounter had been brutal, and Sanae was not eager to shed more blood in the same way. However, her sense of righteousness clamoured for the deaths of those who had dared desecrate holy ground and kill her friend.

Righteousness soon won out. "Let's go exterminate some youkai."


	6. Chapter 6

Unperturbed by the distant cries of innocent youkai in the darkness of the night, Alice strutted into her home, a spring in her step.

She placed Shanghai on an end table. "Don't worry, my loyal servant, I'll attend to you in a moment. First I want to punish that fairy for her impudence."

As she had done earlier in the day, Alice strode into her basement. It was dark as usual, a situation which Alice found irritating. "I should really install some proper lamps soon."

Mental note made, Alice turned to more important matters. "Hourai, where are you? I trust you brought back the fairy safely?"

There was no reply from the inky blackness.

Alice frowned, flipping open the Grimoire once more. Settling on a page, she held the magical tome open and the ever-present faint glow from it exploded into a brilliant beam of light. Using the Grimoire as an impromptu searchlight, Alice scanned the floor and walls, but found no sign of Hourai. Irritated, she clenched her fist in frustration. "Where could that doll be?"

"Looking for this?" replied another voice. The frozen form of Hourai smashed into her face, rolling away into the darkness while Alice screamed in pain. Clutching her bleeding forehead, she glared at Cirno, who stood in front of her, exhausted but determined, a sword of layered and sharpened ice in her hand.

Despite the somewhat alarming circumstances, Alice broke into laughter suddenly. "So you managed to escape Hourai somehow. Another baffling display of pointless resistance, but now you threaten me? You, a pitiful fairy, actually think you can beat me?"

Alice spread her arms wide. "I hold the Grimoire, the ultimate magic in the universe, in my fingers. I crushed Reimu and Marisa easily. What makes you think you even stand a chance?"

"You talk too much." Cirno's hand made a sudden motion.

Alice barely dodged the sharpened fragments of ice Cirno had hurled, but the Grimoire was not so lucky. Although shielded by Alice against any form of energy, from the weakest danmaku to the mightiest Spark, she had overlooked the power of simple matter. The scraps of the Grimoire fell on the floor, useless for anything but light, and Alice clenched her fist. "Alright, fairy. I'm done playing around with you. Prepare to die."

Cirno ignored her and charged, swinging her sword. All the torture and suffering burnt brightly in her mind, and coupled with her rage at Alice's brutalization of Reimu, it had merged into a single-minded desire to kill Alice.

Cirno soon found herself surrounded by Alice's legion of dolls, the glint of their swords and spears unmistakable even in the Grimoire's dim light. With brutal poise, she danced an icy waltz through the sharp web the dolls weaved, hacking, slashing and stabbing, twisting and turning through the dance of death.

One of the dolls' joints snapped, a ghastly sound.

One more fell, head lolling uselessly.

Another perished, its tiny limbs flying apart from its body.

The last one spiralled to the ground helplessly.

Alice found herself staring down Cirno, and her fingers tightened slightly around the Hakkero. "Feel my wrath!"

Cirno's only reply was a sudden chill, as all the water vapour in the air froze into a massive block of ice. The resulting incineration of the ice raised a smokescreen that Cirno had been anticipating; she proceeded to exploit it to full effect, her sword swinging in an arc that sliced off Alice's left hand.

Alice howled in agony, throwing up a net of laser dolls as she attempted a retreat, clutching the bloody stump where her left hand had been. However, Cirno was not about to let Alice escape. With a wave of her hand, razor-sharp icicles sped towards Alice. After years of practice, her aim had improved greatly from her ill-fated Icicle Fall of old, and Alice let loose a roar of pain as one, two, three icicles slammed deep into her leg, crippling her.

Now that her prey was trapped, Cirno made full use of her small size and agility to weave her way through Alice's net of deadly light, closing in for the kill. But before Cirno could deliver the finishing blow, a pink laser blasted her into the wall.

Alice propped herself against a wall, glowing strings extending from her right hand. "Did you think I would risk a battle with Reimu and Marisa with just _one_ giant doll? I always have a backup."

A false panel had opened up in one of the walls of the basement, revealing Alice's trump card. It was identical in appearance to the one Alice had used earlier, except that it did not have the Grimoire attached to it. Now, Alice's willpower was all that kept this doll going.

Getting up painfully, Cirno stared down the giant doll that had emerged. "Your toys won't save you now, Alice."

Alice cackled as the doll moved forwards, slashing at Cirno with a ludicrously large sword. Cirno desperately parried, but it seemed Alice's magical might coupled with gravity would win. Cirno's ice sword was steadily forced down, until at last it was an inch above her head.

Seeing victory near, Alice pumped the bloody remnant of her left hand in the air. "Fall, pitiful fairy! Fall, like all the rest who dared oppose me!"

At the last moment, Cirno leapt forward at blinding speed, the doll's massive sword slamming into the ground behind her. Cirno brought her sword up, slashing not at the doll, or even at Alice, but at the magical strings connecting the two. Alice watched in horror as her last hope fell; without the Grimoire to power it or her energy flowing into it, the giant doll was nothing but junk. Cirno leapt into the air, a huge iceberg forming between her hands, then smashed it onto the doll, sending limbs and joints flying everywhere. Plodding forward on her tiny legs, Cirno held her sword at Alice's neck.

Alice was now in a full-blown panic. "No! How could this be? I had such plans, such glorious visions for the future! I bring down Reimu and Marisa and start a massive conflict, and _this_ is my end? It can't be! It can't-"

Alice's monologue was ended abruptly by an accurate slash. Her head detached from her shoulders cleanly, falling onto the floor, still twisted in an expression of shock and hatred. Had Alice died knowing what the consequences of her meddling would be, however, she would have perished with a smile on her face. Soon Gensokyo would be plunged into war, all because of the short-sighted actions of one magician.


End file.
